China Unicom in association with Nokia has set up a private LTE network for a BMW Brilliance Automotive plant being built in Shenyang city in the Liaoning province.
The Nokia virtualized Multi-access Edge Computing (vMEC) solution will leverage China Unicom’s 4G LTE network to provide low-latency support for smart manufacturing activities at the plant.
The Nokia MEC platform leverages communications service providers’ LTE networks to process data closer to where it is being used, delivering better experience for business-critical applications.
It allows enterprises such as manufacturers to connect assets using sensors and automate activities including object tracking, video surveillance and video analytics, resulting in enhanced operational efficiency and reduced costs.
China Unicom is running the Nokia vMEC solution over its network. The LTE network will support voice and data communication between staff at the plant as well as machine-to-machine communication including wireless video monitoring, production line maintenance inspection, indoor navigation, industrial robots and indoor navigation.
“Smart manufacturing is a key priority for the transformation of the manufacturing industry in China. Being a software-only solution, the Nokia vMEC can be integrated easily into existing enterprise IT infrastructure to enhance business-critical processes and deliver new operational efficiency,” Gao Bo, head of the China Unicom customer team at Nokia Shanghai Bell said.
Future X for industries
Nokia said its Future X for industries strategy and architecture, developed by Bell Labs, will drive productivity improvements across industry sectors.
Nokia said its Future X for industries architecture provides a framework for open, connected systems for each major industry that can accelerate the digitization and automation of physical assets, with pinpoint precision and augmented intelligence.
Infosys
Nokia and India’s IT services company Infosys have established an alliance to drive digital transformation in a wide array of enterprises and industries, addressing vertical markets including transportation, energy and manufacturing, media and entertainment and education.
The goal of the strategic alliance is to help enterprises digitalize their operations by applying the latest in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and lean management coupled with the ubiquitous connectivity offered by today’s mobile broadband and Internet of Things (IoT) networks.
